A patient complains of sudden chest pressure radiating to the left arm. They are diaphoretic and pale. What condition should you suspect?
Acute myocardial infarction
A patient presents with bright red rectal bleeding but no pain and stable vitals. What is the likely source?
Hemorrhoids
A patient presents with polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and fruity-smelling breath. Blood glucose is 450 mg/dL. What condition should you suspect?
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
A patient repeatedly steals items they don’t need and feels tension beforehand, then relief afterward. What type of disorder is this?
Impulse control disorder (kleptomania)
A patient presents with shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and a history of recent deep vein thrombosis. They have sharp, pleuritic chest pain and a slightly elevated heart rate. What condition should you suspect?
Pulmonary embolism
A 72-year-old patient has an irregularly irregular pulse and mild shortness of breath. They are on anticoagulants. What condition should you suspect?
Atrial fibrillation
A patient presents with sudden, severe, colicky abdominal pain, vomiting, and abdominal distension. Imaging shows a “target sign” on ultrasound. What condition should you suspect?
Intussusception (intestinal obstruction)
A patient presents with severe hyperglycemia, dehydration, and altered mental status, but no ketones are present in the urine. What condition should you suspect?
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS)
A patient reports hearing voices that aren’t there, has disorganized speech, and believes people are out to harm them. What condition should you suspect?
Schizophrenia (paranoid type)
A patient presents with severe headache, visual disturbances, and vomiting. On exam, they have papilledema and blood pressure of 220/120. What condition should you suspect?
Hypertensive crisis / hypertensive emergency
You find a patient with severe tearing chest pain radiating to the back, hypotension, and unequal radial pulses. What condition should you suspect?
Aortic dissection
A patient reports chronic heartburn, regurgitation, and difficulty swallowing. Endoscopy reveals inflammation of the esophagus. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) / Esophagitis
A patient presents with excessive thirst and frequent urination. What condition should you suspect?
Diabetes mellitus
A patient becomes anxious and panicked in social situations, avoids public speaking, and experiences palpitations and sweating. What condition should you suspect?
Social anxiety disorder
A patient reports burning chest pain that worsens when lying down and improves when sitting forward. They recently had a viral illness. What condition should you suspect?
Pericarditis
A patient is unresponsive, pulseless, and the monitor shows ventricular tachycardia. What is the priority intervention?
Defibrillation
A patient presents with sudden-onset, severe epigastric pain radiating to the back, along with nausea and vomiting. Serum amylase and lipase are markedly elevated. What condition should you suspect?
Acute pancreatitis
A patient presents with severe hypercalcemia, kidney stones, abdominal pain, and bone pain. What endocrine disorder should you suspect?
Hyperparathyroidism
A patient presents with alternating periods of high energy, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, and periods of deep sadness and hopelessness. What condition should you suspect?
Bipolar disorder
A patient complains of persistent fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, and dry skin. They have bradycardia on exam. What condition should you suspect?
Hypothyroidism
A patient with chest pain has hypotension, jugular vein distension, muffled heart sounds, and tachycardia. What condition should you suspect?
Cardiac tamponade
A patient presents with chronic watery diarrhea, weight loss, and iron-deficiency anemia. Colonoscopy reveals skip lesions and transmural inflammation. Which GI disorder is this?
Crohn’s disease
A patient presents with hypotension, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, and hypoglycemia. They have a history of chronic corticosteroid use. What condition should you suspect?
Adrenal crisis / Addisonian crisis
A patient with a history of trauma repeatedly re-experiences the event, avoids reminders, and has hypervigilance and nightmares. What disorder is this?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
A patient presents with fever, productive cough, night sweats, and unintentional weight loss over several months. Chest X-ray reveals upper lobe infiltrates. What condition should you suspect?
Tuberculosis